New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-22
RIDGWAY UNDER SHARP FIRE
TUE nrsrR1cr.A1ToRNEY DISTURBED.

THE DISTRICT-ATTORNEY DloionDID'
~.voa LOW ExPLAINs-wHAT RIDGwAY TOLD
GRAND JURY-RELATI"Ns WITH CoSsrock.
Tns brooklyn Investigating Committee renewed fte
sesrch for municipal corruption yesterday " hS'enou
Ara, 10 abatement exMayor Low In regard 70 me
relations Of the Fire Department and the ieiepnono
1,ompany under his administration Afterward oriei
.-,asncs vaa eiyen by A. Trcadwel and A. w. sanborn
I'D them DistrictAttorney Ridgway continued his
evidence. $780,
Mr. Ridgway was greatly disquieted wnen MT. sahDorn
aa asked about the secrets VI the Grand Jury roo'
IND with flushed face he hurried to Assemoiyman
Cutler, tho only Democratic member OF 'ne COM
s,ttee present, and said in loud wni'poi
70 that the witness could hears "ieh ni %
,ecres of the Grand Jury room must not % ie'eA.%
ma w,tuess was frightened until the comm'.eo o,a
him to answer the questions put ~ niu' ""' "
While Mr. Ridgway adseted In his onar
a. Inw.s attainment was called out by Mayor Whitneys
answer last Monday When asked under wha' ,
oent the telephone and electric hight were put on Guy
,o,e. the Mayor said that the contract was
nade previous to his Administrator oue
,hs nroyisIons wer~ carried out by him. Mr. Low SAD
Chi. repsassa 10 at the time the committee
nc|neS Tns facts were as follows On November 2S
for the joint telegraph ,.,eD SSlss
y his dep sson va. taken aas BY the Aldermen
On June O. 1884. MAYOR Low had sent letter 10 sae
or ne Sss Of pos.
The sephons S., e ypSd ss'e this Is
ss o agreed TO- At the end OF 1S85 there was no ar
sange,nent with the telephone company In oon0iuS'on
Mr.. Low said
term tie Fire Department aud the com
S sos had good hey ~ e
%as sS;oon sa an not merely
work Sr y s n sT that
their term they blame but think IN I'M ms u
He offered to answer any questions PIT me
sa the whole aeE Sas % ~ ss a sheen
race trac. n hsss win Sany cneDa Gp
f,0okpn In their conversation Battersby asked
Whch worse-to legali1e pootsel ny law or 10
tS Ss cnecS was to 90 to some public official
Albert W. ssnborn grand juror In 1886 testified that
vea the Grand Jury that IL Sheriff indicted he
would lose his Office and all It's em0luments Inns I'M,
messed the Grand Jury severe and so they nesteu
'"nt taxing smch step as indicing the Sheriff After
wan the was asked to point out sach ~
' District s%s "a Attorney sway then resumed his sy
asRss sesa a to Paul Ps Bsasr
viyted by him for poolseng and paid $3.50 ns he did
not serve his term prnsea o Observe the law the
peal was moved He had prosecuted oil pool cases
in Brooklyn and closed them up and according TO me
police there house for gambling or asor
sases OF booksellers because the decision OF inc
Cont OF Appeals had not been rendered Eight terms OF
The court had assed and hes had not NOV return IN
hat conrt in he exercise Of his discretion District
Attorney OF the gamblers indicted came 70 l.,s
frtton and Oram had sent theip as they had been IN
no ;%as hs r p rei %rre
Calm had dismissed forty-sx indictments IN pohcy
before he left Office he sue the people
had gone ont of the business The Grand Jury atrrward
refused again inlet these men ana 70 ihdce 1eheia'
Cstln complaint OF Mr. ConstoeE ,o,, rou.ea when
Mr. Parsons questioned Mr. Ridgway in regard to his
,Pu,0n Of Ani h%y fG o Said "'I Mr. sat
had made himself to him in other ways besides
secured the punishment OF little hoy for buying an OBJ
fashionable sleevebutton when General Catnn was DIS
too severe.
Other subject than the swo S 70 Shch ySa
s sno 1ssr To yop ABy personal contact
VIII gave ySn The o as hnOT aT"%'
The %ssns resorts gain notoety by the prose
nsn.Sea that tsy woa no. .a 6sI eve h a
hose things TO my notice OF course formed very
strong Impression III my mind
Closely pressed however, the witness had to admit that
his opinion OF Mr. Comsock was chiefly 6ased upon ms
efforts enforce the gaming laws; Mr. kdgway also
ever said he was elected with gambling plank IN the
platform and said he only intended conyey tne mpres
sion that majority of the people Ia the county favored
his efforts to suppress poolseling Further Oh "is
occurred:
n% na he es S @
went into on cs and about Comsock
Brtton Comstock scorndel aud rascal
and had sufficient couhd'nce In mr. he would
give me some woud result sending Com
stock TO state PRISON He askei me was Mason and
sah MAS not He said he would sec me again SAID ne
do did not care 10 know ANYTHING aoont MT
especially In business nth him anu nave
been false have this morning said did not care
B. anything tT do with him.
Q-How long you office theni A.-Two or three
Q-Mr Rdgway, did understand me TO ask that
Ayes sir understood you to ask me II had called nm
blackma,ler. ,,.
O.-Have YOU called him blackmaer7 Al have IN
That Brton had given suf Gent nforma
TO Justify IN this belief.
OIL That you do not want to give direct
did about belief or your CONVEX
aatlons, whether not said A-No; never
called black mailer In many words
anything that tantamount TO
thstl Al believed he participated In these
eItortiona
Q.-Wheni Alt different tmea
Mr. Parsons then compelled the witness to admit that
although blackDailing crime he had never taken
any proceedings against Mr. COmsock, although sworn
10 prosecute all crimes.
Mr. Rdgway tried to counterfeit the damaging evidence
of sanborn by saying that he advised the Grand Jury
that sheriff nd ted for bribery or corr upton III
ONCE lost his position and he said he was not such
An ASS az give them legal opinion that any lawyer
could contradict The hearing adjourned to Friday